The Black Hole (1979)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Gary Nelson

Writers:

Jeb Rosebrook (story) and
Bob Barbash (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A journey that begins where everything ends!

Plot:

A research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole.

Plot Keywords:

Black Hole | Robot | Spaceship | Space | Reverse Footage

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Maximilian Schell	...	Dr. Hans Reinhardt
Anthony Perkins	...	Dr. Alex Durant
Robert Forster	...	Captain Dan Holland
Joseph Bottoms	...	Lieutenant Charles Pizer
Yvette Mimieux	...	Dr. Kate McCrae
Ernest Borgnine	...	Harry Booth
Tom McLoughlin	...	Captain S.T.A.R. (Special Troops Arms Regiment) (as Tommy McLoughlin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roddy McDowall	...	V.I.N.CENT. (Vital Information Necessary CENTralized) (voice) (uncredited)
Gary Nelson	...	Drone with mask removed (uncredited)
Slim Pickens	...	Bob (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Gary Nelson

Writing credits
Jeb Rosebrook		(story) and
Bob Barbash		(story) &
Richard H. Landau		(story) (as Richard Landau)
Jeb Rosebrook		(screenplay) and
Gerry Day		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ron Miller	....	producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Frank V. Phillips		(as Frank Phillips)

Film Editing by
G. Gregg McLaughlin		(as Gregg McLaughlin)

Production Design by
Peter Ellenshaw

Art Direction by
John B. Mansbridge
Robert T. McCall
Al Roelofs

Set Decoration by
Frank R. McKelvy
Roger M. Shook

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
Gloria Montemayor	....	hair stylist
Nadia	....	makeup artist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
John D. Bloss	....	production manager (as John Bloss)
Christopher N. Seiter	....	unit production manager (as Christopher Seiter)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Disney Miller	....	second assistant director (as Christopher D. Miller)
Tom McCrory	....	assistant director
Joseph Paul Moore	....	second assistant director (as Joseph P. Moore)

Art Department
Robert Ayres	....	production illustrator
Leon Harris	....	production illustrator (as Leon R. Harris)
Gene Johnson	....	production illustrator
Fred Lucky	....	production illustrator
Wilbur L. Russell	....	property master

Sound Department
Wayne Allwine	....	sound effects editor (as Wayne A. Allwine)
Nick Alphin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Barney Cabral	....	dialogue replacement (as Bernard P. Cabral)
Norman Carlisle	....	dialogue replacement
George Fredrick	....	sound effects editor
Robert Hathaway	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bob Hathaway)
Ben Hendricks	....	special sound effects (as Ben F. Hendricks)
John Jolliffe	....	sound effects editor (as John J. Jolliffe)
Stephen Katz	....	additional special sound effects
James MacDonald	....	special sound effects
Bud Maffett	....	sound mixer (as Henry A. Maffett)
Al Maguire	....	dialogue replacement
Joe Parker	....	sound effects editor (as Joseph Parker)
Frank Regula	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Frank C. Regula)
Herb Taylor	....	sound supervisor
Louis Terrusa	....	sound effects editor
John Van Frey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Wylie	....	special sound effects (as William J. Wylie)

Special Effects by
Hal Bigger	....	assistant mechanical effects
Danny Lee	....	mechanical effects supervisor
Eric Allard	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Gary D'Amico	....	special effects (uncredited)
Hans Metz	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)
Mike Reedy	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Ken Speed	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Fred E. Branson	....	optical printer operator
Bob Broughton	....	optical photography coordinator (as Robert Broughton)
Art Cruickshank	....	director of miniature photography
Harrison Ellenshaw	....	matte artist
Harrison Ellenshaw	....	matte effects
Peter Ellenshaw	....	miniature effects creator
Peter Ellenshaw	....	miniature effects supervisor
Constantine Ganakes	....	assistant matte artist
Joe Hale	....	animation special effects
Ray O. Hoar	....	optical printer operator
Ted Kierscey	....	animator (as Ted C. Kierscey)
Bill Kilduff	....	operator: A.C.E.S.
Dorse A. Lanpher	....	animator
Eustace Lycett	....	composite optical photography
David Mattingly	....	assistant matte artist
Stephen McEveety	....	production assistant: miniatures unit (as Stephen M. McEveety)
Phil Meador	....	optical printer operator (as Philip L. Meador)
Arthur Miller	....	matte photography
Roger Redel	....	gaffer: miniatures unit (as Roger E. Redel)
Doc Reed	....	key grip: miniatures unit
Terence Saunders	....	chief model maker
Terence Saunders	....	miniature mechanical effects
Ed Sekac	....	matte photography
Robert R. Wilson	....	operator: A.C.E.S.
Thomas Baker	....	main title graphics (uncredited)
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects miniatures (uncredited)
Barry Seybert	....	graphic artist: opening titles (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunts
Howard Curtis	....	stunts
Len Glascow	....	stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts
Billy Bob Jackson	....	stunts (as Billy Jackson)
Melvin Jones	....	stunts
Katee McClure	....	stunts
Stevie Myers	....	stunts
Terry Nichols	....	stunts
Alan Oliney	....	stunts
Ron Oliney	....	stunts (as Ronald Oliney)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunts (as Conrad Palmisano)
Regina Parton	....	stunts
Don Pulford	....	stunts
Bobby Sargent	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Ahern II	....	camera operator (as Lloyd N. Ahern)
Bernie Bayless	....	best boy (as Bernard F. Bayless)
Carl Boles	....	gaffer
Donald Capel	....	key grip
Howard Hagadorn	....	second grip (as Howard L. Hagadorn)
Robert LaBonge	....	first assistant camera
Cecil Wilson	....	second assistant camera (as Cecil R. Wilson)
Dan Delgado	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Wynn Hammer	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Brian L. McCarty	....	video assist operator (uncredited)
Peter McEvoy	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Dye	....	costumer
Chuck Keehne	....	costume supervisor
Jack Sandeen	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Evelyn Kennedy	....	supervising music editor
Helen Sneddon	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator (as Al Woodbury)

Other crew
George F. McGinnis	....	creator: robots
Tom McLoughlin	....	coordinator: sentry robots (as Tommy McLoughlin)
Sandy Nelson	....	script supervisor
Dana Winseman	....	video playback services (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions (presents)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Distribution Company (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Toho-Towa (1980) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Pictures (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Nothing's New Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Suomi-Filmi
• Walt Disney Home Video (1981) (UK) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1980) (USA) (VHS) (as Walt Disney Home Entertainment)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• A.C.E.S. Automatic Camera Effects Systems (special effects photography)

Other Companies

• Continental Camera Systems  pitching lens relay systems by (as Continental Camera)
• Buena Vista Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Space Station One (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints) (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2004) | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

Jennifer O'Neill was originally cast as Dr. Kate McCrae, but she was later replaced by Yvette Mimieux.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the robot funeral, only the floor and far wall were built as a physical set. The sloping side walls were a matte painting. At the beginning of the scene, the robot's head at the far lower left disappears under the matte painting. At the end of the scene, when they are filing out of the room, the robot's head at the lower right bobs behind and under the matte several times.

Quotes:

Dan Holland: The controls aren't responding.
V.I.N.CENT: Captain, the ship has been programmed!
Dan Holland: [Resigned] To Reinhardt's course!
Lieutenant Charles Pizer: [Shocked] You mean we're going into the black hole?
Dan Holland: Looks like it.
Kate McCrae: Let's pray he was a genius!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Robot Chicken: We Are a Humble Factory (#4.11)" (2009)

Ahead of Its Time

With the advancement of movie technology today, I am awaiting a re-make of this film as I can see the enhancement of the Armageddon-like atmosphere of this movie.

Even though this film came out on the heels of Star Wars I feel that for its time and its budget it was awesome and very much overlooked. I think in this case, being a Disney film, didn't help its image either. As a kid this movie scared the pants off of me. It was dark and menacing and there was the big black hole staring me in the face the whole movie. (I can still recall the extent of the willies this movie game me).

While flawed I see this movie as an artistic and hard core science fiction classic. It uses many of what I see as key elements in science fiction - known science, theoretical science, possible futures, and our fear of the unknown (I personally think even with what we know, we still know very little about black holes).

This movie was made in the feel of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Moby Dick, with the mad, yet brilliant captain, sailing a state of the art ship, knowingly, into certain and utter doom in the name of some idealistic obsession. And as it usually goes you have your idealistic yet rational unwilling passengers who want to get off the ship and survive the mad man's nightmarish dreams.

The robots, while used in a highly symbolic fashion, were original in their concept and design. I particularly liked the way V.I.N.C.E.N.T. and B.O.B. were constructed as the "avatars" of humanity - completely man-made with human-like eyes and a "soul", that only allowed them to see the "right" side of things - as we see them. While on the other hand Maximilian was brilliant as the epitome of evil and twisted humanity in this movie - a man silently trapped and condemned to an inhuman fate as part of a mechanical nightmare.

Lastly, I feel that the space backdrops and the internal renderings of the space ship, which I feel have somewhat of an impressionistic flair, are awesome and were very well done for the period. If you passed on this movie the first time I recommend giving it a second chance. Take in the movie - see its symbolism, its social commentaries and far reaching vision. I think some of the issues the movie quietly addresses are still relative today.